Installing
Exchange Server 2010 in a Test Environment
To reduce risks,
prevent end-user downtime, and minimize the exposure of the production
environment, it is typically recommended that the first implementation
of Exchange Server 2010 be conducted in an isolated test lab rather than
being installed into a production environment.
Having a test
environment isolates functional errors so that if there are any problems
they will not be injected into the existing production environment. In
addition, the test environment acts as a “Proof of Concept” for the new
Exchange Server 2010 design.
Occasionally,
organizations attempt to repurpose their test environments into their
production environment. Administrators should be cautious, as
“shortcuts” are sometimes taken in the lab—the use of evaluation copies
of software and/or underpowered hardware may work flawlessly in the lab,
but transitioning the equipment to production results in inadequate
performance and unnecessary downtime.
Production equipment
should be rebuilt and deployed from scratch, not “moved” from a test
environment.
Prototyping an
Exchange Server 2010 Installation
Some of the steps an
organization should go through when planning to build a test Exchange
Server environment include the following:
- Building
Exchange Server 2010 in a lab
- Testing email features and
functionality
- Reviewing Exchange Server 2010 server
roles
- Verifying design configuration
- Testing failover and recovery
- Selecting
to install on physical hardware or virtual machines
Much of the validation and
testing should occur during the testing process. It is much easier, for
example, to test a disaster recovery rebuild of Exchange Server in an
exclusive test environment than it is to do so in a production
environment, where production servers or users could accidentally be
impacted.
Additionally, testing
application compatibility in a lab environment can be much more
effective than attempting to do so in a production environment, where
you might suddenly find business critical third-party fax, voice mail,
or paging software non functional.
Other items to test and
confirm in your lab environment include:
Building an Exchange Server
2007 prototype test lab can be a costly affair for companies that want
to simulate a large, global implementation. For companies with a global
presence where it is necessary to provide messaging services for
thousands of employees, in multiple sites throughout the world,
mirroring their production site can prove a daunting task. However,
without successfully prototyping the installation, upgrade strategy, and
application compatibility before they move forward in production, they
cannot be assured that the deployment will go smoothly.
The cost of building a lab
of this magnitude using physical servers can be prohibitive; there can
be AD domain controllers, Exchange 2003 and 2007 servers, and
application servers. The cost of building the lab could eat up a large
part of the overall budget allocated to the project.
However, with the
improvements in server virtualization, companies can significantly lower
the costs associated with the prototype phase. Server virtualization
enables multiple virtual operating systems to run on a single physical
machine, while remaining logically distinct with consistent hardware
profiles. For further cost savings, the hardware utilized for the
virtual lab can be purchased with an eye toward re-utilization in the
production environment once the prototype phase is complete.
Upgrading from
Previous Versions of Microsoft Windows
Many organizations
already have an existing directory structure in place. It is great if a
company has the opportunity to implement a new Windows Server 2003 or
Windows Server 2008 AD environment from scratch; however, this is not
usually possible for environments with previous versions of Exchange
Server deployed.
When upgrading an
existing Active Directory infrastructure, the deployment plan should be
carefully thought out and tested before implementation in the production
environment.
